This is Sean at the Ash Wednesday service.

I thought it was such a cool photo that I wanted to share it.  Connie Riley, one of the ladies at the church, took this.  

Last year, when Sean lit the bowl of requests, a ball of flames roared up over his head and singed his hair.  It was funny, but scary all at the same time.

Wasting Time...

Today has been an interesting day.  I got up very early.  Went to breakfast with my friend Tonya and then had the great pleasure of being allowed to speak at her church.  Their women's ministry meets on Saturday mornings.  It was a good time of God moving.  

Then I have kind of hung out all day.  I don't get to do that very often.  I surfed the web, messed around on Facebook, and changed the background on my blog.  

Here is my dilemma, it is almost 11 p.m.  I have to teach Sunday school in the morning at 9 and I still do not have a topic or a lesson.  While wasting time is enjoyable and often necessary, it is also, well a waste of time.  Time that I cannot get back and time that is now lost.  Maybe I will remember this moment next time I have time to just throw away, but then again maybe not!

UMMM, THAT WOULD BE A NO!

Well, the letter came today.  The one I had been waiting for.  As I opened the mailbox and pulled it out, I knew without looking that it would be a no.  It was too thin, too small.  I opened it with intrepidation.   "We regret to inform you...."  So, what happens next?  This was the one school I applied to, the one I wanted to go to.  To say that I am disappointed would be an understatement. I know this is supposed to be one of those times when you say, "hey, God has a plan, etc."  To be honest, that is sort of hard right now.  Maybe in the future I will be able to look back and say that, but for now I'm not feeling it.  It has only been a few hours though.  Tomorrow I will get up and the sun will be shining (or not) and my day will progess a little like the one I lived today and then everyday after that.  There will be other PhD programs and jobs and seminars and stuff.  In other words, life will go on.  In the words of Keith Urban, "tonight, I want to cry...." 

Running with the Big Dogs!

Okay, just shot back from Virginia Beach where I went with Brandi to interview for the PhD program.  I don't know about this deal.  I want to get in.  I would like to do research and write books and talk to people about stuff.  Those are my goals, things I like.  Be a better counselor and help other people be better counselors.  I think they want us to be petrified.  No terrified.  I can do this.  Now if I just wait long enough to find out if I got in.

Something Else....

I created this blog in order to write about my thoughts and feelings and to maybe talk about who I am, but you know what, I am finding that difficult.  I am not sure that I want everyone to know. Maybe it is being in a job where I listen to people everyday searching for who they are.  Maybe I have become more private as time has gone on.  Maybe the one topic I don't really want to talk about is me.  Maybe not.  I just think it is interesting.  Somedays I am feeling it and somedays not so much.  My goal is going to be to write something personal at least once a week.  Something deeper than politics and sports.  Who knows, maybe I'll find out something about me that I didn't know.  I'll keep you posted.  :)

Hostile Takeoever...

Ha, you thought I was writing about politics, and I could be.  But, you know what, I am skipping it.  I listened to Rush Limbaugh and Scott Wilder today.  I've had enough.  The hostile takeover I am talking about here is Facebook.  It is amazing.  I joined FB a few weeks back.  I only have 82 friends.  Sean joined reluctantly after I half forced him to....yeah, about a 1000 friends already.  Of course, he is not quite as discriminating about his friends as I am.  Seriously though, I think if anyone wanted to create a hostile takeover all they would need to do is start a grassroots movement on FB.  Come to think about it, maybe they have.....

Confessions of a Parent of a Teenager....

I confess, I remember being a teenager, sort of. Things change. My son Zane is all fire and ice. He loves his momma one moment and he just can't "get us" the next. Frustrating times abound. He is brilliant and challenging and wonderful all at the same time. It is hard as a mother sometimes to know the balance between letting go and holding on. Just watching them grow....

Savi Sweetheart...

Savi is my sweetie. She has a true heart for others. Sometimes that can be hard on her. She hates it when others do not respond to her in a loving manner. I never understand it when one of the kids at school mistreats her, what is not to like? Of course, I am her mother. But, she is almost always upbeat, positive, and encouraging to those around her. God teaches me many lessons through Savannah.

Reflections on Mini-Me....

This is Carly. She is eight. Remember when your parents said, "I hope you have ten just like you!" That is my sweet little Carly. She has spunk and personality and actually is a lot like me. I love all my children and will blog about Zane and Savi soon. Today, I was thinking about Carly. Wondering what she will be like as she gets older. She has some things that I didn't have. She has a better sense of herself than I had at her age. She gets irritated and frustrated when things don't go her way, but she doesn't seem to ever internalize it. I did. I internalized everything. I have gotten a little better. It is interesting to see your children and the snapshots of your own life that they are little parts of.

Read my lips....NO TAXES!!

I think that I may join the political elite this year and not pay my taxes.  I mean, hey, why should I?  No one on Capital Hill seems to be paying theirs.  Why not join them?  How about we start a grassroots movement and follow in the footsteps of Tom Daschle?  Is there some kind of memo that goes out in Washington?  Hey, all you congressmen, why pay taxes on the money you receive from your cushy taxpayer funded job!!  Join us today, we don't pay!! 

If it works for them, why not for us lowly citizens?  Guess what would happen if I really didn't pay?  You would find me in the local jail or spending the rest of my life trying to catch up with what I owe to the IRS.  P.S. O says he screwed up.  Maybe it would have been a good idea to check those things out before he nominated the person.  After all, he was able to procure the private cell phone number of the Arizona Cardinals coach for a little phone call after the game.  It's amazing that no one had access to the tax returns of people being considered for some of the highest offices in our country.  Wonder if O has payed up?

Coming Soon to a Sponsor Near You...

Michael Phelps is an idiot!!  Yes, I actually said it.  Does anyone want to remind this bozo what he has?  8 Gold medals for one.  Not a feat anyone else is likely to tie or break for quite some time.  Now he wants to screw up his chances in the next Olympics by partying like it's 1999.  Hello?  Is anyone home up there?

When the news first broke, all I could think about was seeing his mom in the stands at the Olympics watching all of his races.  Hey mom, could you remind Mike where he came from?  And by the way, Mike, they don't like you for your looks.  

Bailout Smellout...

One of the things us conservatives agree on is less government.  Of course, with O as prez, we are on a freewill binge of bailouts and stimulus.  Big time, big government.  I finally found something that O and I agree on though....Bank of America and their big Super Bowl Bash stinks!

Why should the government give these companies taxpayer money to throw million dollar parties at the SuperBowl?  I know that their defense is that this a money making proposition.  Really?  How many of you ran out to sign up for your Steelers checking account this weekend?  Now, I am all for a big party, but you gotta be kidding me!  800 Large for the tents alone.  That is lots of people's salaries for the year I am thinking.  How soon will it be before they will crying on O's shoulder asking for another handout?  If we really want some thing to be different, we are going to have to see some of these companies willing to make some changes.  No more business as usual.  No more smelly government bailout deals.  Buck up freewheelers! 

Superbowl Rook

There is a new position in football these days.  It is known as the Rook!  They used to be called referees, but their names have been changed.  There is something wrong when the Pittsburgh Steelers have 15 yards in penalties and the Cards have 97 or something.  Seriously, if you lose a game because you suck, well that is one thing.  But if you lose a game because the referees cheat you out of it.  That is another thing.  Maybe the Cards wouldn't have won anyway, but at least one of their scores could be attributed to the refs.  The Cards hung in a played a great game.  Hope Kurt is back next year.  Go Cards!